Anthropology
by MystiklSushi
Summary: Much had changed since the hunter exam, and they’d both done a lot of growing up…and growing apart. But that still did not explain to the Kuruta why he was suddenly being interrogated. Oneshot.


Something I've been playing with for the past three years or so, since I took my first Anthro course.  
It always just made sense to me...

I don't own HunterxHunter.

* * *

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

The blonde looked up at that, a quizzical expression on his face, curious as to what his suited friend could be accusing him of. It had been a few weeks since the last incident with the Ryodan, and though Kurapika was enjoying the rare chance to spend time with Leorio despite their almost completely incompatible schedules, the air between them had been tense lately. It was natural, though. Much had changed since the hunter exam, and they'd both done a lot of growing up…and growing apart. But that still did not explain to the Kuruta why he was suddenly being interrogated.

"You'll need to expand the question before I can give you an answer, you know, Leorio."

"Well…ah…the truth is, its pretty awkward now that I'm asking. And the answer won't make a difference or anything…it was mostly just curiosity…"

"If it doesn't matter, then," the blonde widened his book back out, never having completely closed it in the first place, and found the spot on the page where he'd left off. If Leorio found the question to be awkward…well…he might be better off not knowing.

"It was like this. With all of the classes I'm taking, I can't just do the ones geared for being a doctor…not this early on. So…I had to take an anthropology course, and the subject came up…" He paused for a moment, fearing a face full of book and the red eyed wrath of his small friend. But, he was already into it this far. He may as well finish the sentence, "of a group of people called _berdache._"

Instinctively, he threw his arms up to protect his face. The book in question, however, had merely slipped from the blonde's astonished fingers, thumping softly closed in his lap.

"You mean to ask," came the reply after several seconds of thick silence, "If I am a two-spirit? In other words, a woman in a man's body, or vice versa?"

The med student was suddenly and profoundly aware that Kurapika had yet to look at him since he'd finished his question.

"Well…I mean…that is to say…the boat during the exam…and I was pretty sure the Kuruta were something like a tribe…and you're so small…and the skirt thing you wear…and that whole thing during the kidnapping…I sorta thought that…yes?"

The blonde pursed his lips, and another uncomfortably long silence stretched out between the two.

"That's really what you think, isn't it?"

"It would make a lot of sense." Still no flying fists, still no wrath. Had he been right? Was Kurapika offended? Afraid that their friendship would change, depending on the answer? He swallowed nervously.

"I see." He picked the book back up out of his lap, deftly finding the lost page. Leorio was at a loss.

"Was…was I right then?" The last remaining member of the Kuruta clan lowered the book away from his face, a sweet-yet-menacing smile gracing his lips.

"You said the answer didn't make a difference, so an answer isn't really necessary, is it now, Le-o-ri-o?" The suited man paled, each syllable of his name pronounced on its own was a bad sign, but not near as bad as the warning written in the smile on the blonde's face. He'd made a mistake in bringing up the subject at all.

"Of course! My bad! What could I have been thinking…?! Heh heh…"

Leorio could feel his heart pounding, trying to escape his chest. Man, he'd be glad once these Gen Ed. credits were done with…

* * *

Weird to think that this is my first HxH fic, seeing as I've been a fan for fooooorever!  
And weirder still to think that I've not submitted anything for more than a year. Granted, its been one insane year...I've been doing double my normal class-load to make up for the year in Japan and the hole it left in my English and Education courses. Ah well...anything worth doing requires a lot of time, effort, and usually some pain, too!  
Reviews, as always, are appreciated~


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